A mother's love
by Tia-Chan18
Summary: All it took was a few words of wisdom from her mother to help Katara admit her feelings to Aang.


So guys, I got this idea from a picture I saw of Katara, Sokka, and Kya. I just thought Katara would be in this situation, and so this was born,

Set after the war.

I don't own Avatar

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It was a quiet night in the Southern Water Tribe. Katara and Aang had decided to pay a visit to her father and gran-gran after the situation in Yu-Dao was settled. She was still emotional after the war ended a year ago, but Katara knew better than to show it. Aang, however, didn't let her keep quiet about it for long.

"Sweetie... I know something's been bothering you... You wanna tell me what's wrong?"

She sighed before looking up at him, her eyes a nice shade of blue. "It's not something important.." Her hand went to the necklace around her neck, breathing a sigh of relief to know it was still there. She had lost it once, she didn't want to lose it again.

"I just miss my mother..."

She felt Aang wrap his arms around her and she gave him a smile before snuggling into his embrace. She always felt secure and safe around Aang. It was like all her fears and worries went away with him. Her heart fluttered at the thought as a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Katara... I'm sure she's proud of you."

She looked up to see him smiling down at her, his eyes full of love.

"yeah?"

He nodded. "I had a talk with your father. He told me everything that happened and how you weren't the same little girl he remembers. He told me that if your mother saw you now, she'd be so proud of everything you've accomplished. You became a master waterbender in less than a year, you helped me save the world. You even saved my life. And despite feeling anger and rage towards the guy who killed her, you still showed him mercy. It takes a lot of courage to do that Katara. If I was in the avatar state, I'd probably kill without a second thought. The point is... you're allowed to miss her. Your father misses her every single day."

Her eyes were filled with tears before she rested her head in the crook of his neck. She let herself weep into his shoulders, not even caring how vulnerable she felt. Without realizing it, she fell asleep in his arms. Smiling gently, he picked her up and headed towards her bed, being careful to not disturb her sleep.

He gently got onto the bed and laid beside her, feeling content with her there. He couldn't keep the silly grin off his face as he watched her sleep. He finally had her, and he couldn't contain his emotions in any longer. A small tear had slipped down his eye before resting his head on hers. His eyes closed as sleep overtook him.

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Katara took a look around, not recognizing the place she was in. The skies were a bright blue, but everywhere else was a mixture of pink and purple. It was like she was dreaming, but she felt like there was something familiar about this place. She couldn't put a finger on it, but the air around her was so pure and light, as though she was being filled with a sense of peace and calmness.

Not knowing how she got there, she decided to start walking around, hoping the scenery would jog her memory. Spirits flew by her without showing any signs of attacking her, causing her to smile at the bright creatures. As she walked up a hill, she felt herself stop.

There, right in front of her, was her mother.

She blinked, not believing she was right there.. "Mom?"

Kya turned to look at her daughter, a smile on her face. Her hair was the same dark brown, her skin the same. Everything about her was the same. This wasn't real. Katara couldn't believe she was standing right in front of her.

"Katara..."

Tears sprang forth as she ran to her mother, embracing her once she reached her. She dug her face into her mother's water tribe clothing as she inhaled her scent. Even that was the same, and it only made Katara cry harder.

Her mother smiled as she rubbed her daughter's back, as though it would console her. It seemed to be working as Katara got her act together and brushed away her tears.

"How are you here mom?"

"You're in the spirit world dear. This is my home now."

She looked up at her, not knowing what to say.

"But I thought only the avatar can get here. How is it that I?"

"You're not actually here, Katara. You're dreaming that you're here. Is there something bothering you?"

She sighed, "Mom.. It's just been crazy. I found the avatar, and then me and Sokka travelled the world with him to help him learn the other elements. I learned how to waterbend and I ended up becoming Aang's teacher. Then we met Toph, who became Aang's earthbending teacher, and then Aang was shot and killed and I felt that same feeling when you died but it was twice as bad. I just didn't know what to do so I got mad at dad for leaving and then I thought I was mad cause he couldn't protect you from dying. Then I blamed myself for not preventing Aang's death, and I haven't told him that yet... But we finally got together after we stopped Firelord Ozai. We ended up becoming friends with his son, Zuko, who ended up being our enemy for most of the journey. I just... I love Aang a lot, and I admitted this to him and he feels the same way.. But I'm also scared. I'm scared that if I put too much effort in, he'll end up dead again and I'll lose another person I love.."

She stroked her daughter's hair, noticing that she still wore the necklace she gave her. She hummed the tune that her daughter was familiar with and she could feel her relax.

"I'll let you in on a secret Katara. You should never keep secrets from the people you love. You should always be upfront with them, especially when it comes to your feelings. It's never good to keep them bottled up inside. I learned that from your father. I used to be like you. Your father was my first and last boyfriend. I knew he was the one when he asked me to marry him. I did get scared at first because I wasn't sure I was ready for the commitment, but he comforted me, and that's when I knew he was the one. If you're so sure he's the one, then just let it happen. But never keep yourself closed off. He deserves to know, Katara. Be honest with him."

She nodded, and tried to get closer to her mom, only to feel her slipping away.

Fear struck her eyes as she looked at her, "mom?"

"Katara!"

She could hear a familiar voice calling out to her, but she was confused as her mother slipped from her grasp. She continued to reach out for her, only to watch her fade in the distance.

"MOM!"

"Katara... I'm so proud of who you became. Remember who you are, and don't let anyone tell you different. I love you and I will always be with you. Anytime you want to come see me, just imagine me in your head, and I will be there."

"Mom! Come back!"

"I love you Katara."

"Mom!"

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She gasped as she bolted up, causing Aang to jump out of bed with her. She gasped when she noticed him crumpled on the floor beside her bed. Concerned, she grabbed his arm and helped him On the bed, giving his temple a kiss before looking into his eyes.

"Are you alright, Aang?"

Smiling sheepishly, he looked at her, "I'm fine Katara. I'm more worried about you. You were tossing and turning and it got me concerned. Was it another nightmare?"

She shook her head as she found his hand and held it in hers. She took a deep breath before looking into his gray eyes.

"Aang.. there's a couple things I have to tell you.. I've been keeping them away from you because I was scared..."

Wrapping his other hand around hers, he brought them to his lips and kissed them before holding them against his chest. "I'm not going to run away, Katara. If you have something to say, I'll listen."

"Okay..." Taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes, "When Azula had shot you... I was extremely terrified. At that point, I had accepted that I had feelings for you, but I didn't know how to act on it. So when you were falling, I felt my heart fall with you. I almost couldn't breathe seeing you in that position. When I got you on Appa, I did whatever it took to get you to look at me. When I realized that my healing didn't work, I felt so useless. That was when I remembered the spirit water, and I thought, prayed, that it would bring you back to me.. When you woke up for that split second, I knew you were going to make it, and I cried at that moment because I knew I wasn't too late."

Sighing, she took another deep breath as she collected her thoughts. This was the moment. She needed to tell him this part as it was the main reason she needed her mother's advice in the first place.

"When you took off on your glider, I was so upset... I couldn't think straight. I looked everywhere for you but you weren't around. I ran to my father and got mad at him because I believed you were stupid for thinking that you can save the world on your own. I was so upset and frustrated and hurt that you didn't believe in us, believe in me, that you decided to take off on us without telling us. It was then I realized I was truly upset at the fact that I couldn't protect you. I couldn't fully save you from yourself. And I took it out on my dad because that's how he was with my mother! He took off to war because he wanted to protect us, but I realized he wanted to make it up to her. The one person he truly loved that he let down. And It hit me so hard because I felt the same way towards you that it nearly killed me on the inside."

She hadn't realized her eyes were closed until he placed his hands on her face and pulled her lips to his. The tears fell but she didn't care as she focused on the feel of his lips, as they slowly moved over hers. Grabbing at his robes, she pulled him closer, wanting to feel him as physically close as possible. It somehow calmed her racing heart, and her tears gradually slowed as he pulled away. Their eyes opened at the same time and she nearly died at the look in his eyes.

"Thank you for telling me Katara. I'm sorry I ever made you feel that way. It was never my intention to make you feel mad or angry at anyone. At that time, I felt I needed to fight the fire lord on my own. I was being selfish and stupid. I should've known you guys wouldn't let me go through with it. I'm just happy you told me how you felt. Even if it took this long, I've done some stupid things and I didn't think of how they'd affect you. I was in the wrong and for that I'm sorry. But I want you to know that I love you and nothing will change that. You're my forever girl, and I intend on making sure you always feel that way for the rest of our lives."

Not knowing how to respond, she crushed him in a huge hug. The love from her mother was flowing through her, and it was as though she never left. She felt so much better admitting everything to Aang and he still accepted her, despite feeling that way. She thought she felt a hand on her shoulder, but she focused on the moment right now, wanting Aang to feel all the love she felt for him.

"I love you."

He grinned, "I love you too."


End file.
